聯合國制定年長者權利公約爭議之初探

A Preliminary Exploration of the Controversy over the United Nations’Establishment of the Convention on the Rights of the Elderly

權規範所體現之一系列價值觀，包括尊嚴、平等、尊重與自主權，與促進年長者之生活品質及自主性密切相關。「老年」除了是所有人不分種族、膚色、性別、宗教信仰或身心障礙的共同生命歷程外，伴隨老化過程所帶來之經濟不確定、健康與身體機能的衰退、社會連結及長照需求等問題亦讓老年族群成為有其獨特需求、且需要特殊保障的社會群體。
國際間自1940年代即開啟將年長者議題納入國際人權法規範之探討，相關爭議與保障其他特定群體（如婦女、兒少）之爭辯有其相似之處，其中反對制定年長者權利公約之論點則包括現有之硬法已充分獲得保障年長群體的權利，故而工作重點應置於如何有效落實現有之規範文件。而2010年聯合國年長者工作小組（UN Open-Ended Working Group on Aging）之組成可謂係年長者權利公約制定與否爭辯之轉折點，該小組近年來討論之重點包括年長者之社會發展、不歧視以及婦女賦權等議題。儘管該工作小組對於是否應制訂一部具有國際法約束力文件以保障年長者仍存有相當分歧，惟倡議者期待新冠疫情所凸顯出年長者之脆弱處境能成為促成制定年長者權利公約之催化劑，為年長者在爭取廣泛政治支持時提供強而有力、全面性之法律策略與工具，進而達成在人權公約體系中將年長者主流化（mainstreaming older people’s rights）之目標。

“Old age”is a life course stage common to everyone regardless of race, skin color, gender, religious belief, physical or mental disability. However, the economic uncertainties, decline in health and physical functions, reduced social connections, and long-term care needs that come with the aging process also make the elderly a group with unique needs who require special protection. From a human rights perspective, the core values that need to be upheld, including dignity, equality, respect and autonomy, are closely related to the quality of life of the elderly.
Since the 1940s, the international community has been discussing incorporating elderly issues into international human rights norms. These debates share similarities with those on the protection of the human rights of other specific groups (such as women and children), including arguments against the need to establish a convention to protect those rights. These arguments suggest that existing hard laws already sufficiently protect the rights of the elderly, and therefore, the focus should be on effectively implementing these existing normative documents. The formation of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Aging in 2010 marked a turning point in the debate over whether to establish a convention on the rights of the elderly.
In recent years, the group has focused on issues including social development of the elderly, non-discrimination, and older women's empowerment. Despite the working group's significant divergence in opinion on whether an internationally binding document is required, advocates hope that the vulnerable situation of the elderly, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, will act as a catalyst for a convention on the rights of the elderly to be drafted. In their view, a convention would provide a strong, comprehensive legal strategy and tool to gain widespread political support for the elderly, thereby achieving the goal of mainstreaming older people's rights within the human rights convention system.